Just a few more...

Just a few more old photos  :)

 

These were not 4-H related, but from my AKC Junior Handler days.

 

This was my big win, which hooked me  :)

 

Best Junior Handler!

I don't think I ever had that kind of success again, even with the super-dog Kirby  :)

 

We will return to our regular posts next week. No more time-traveling for awhile!

My Love For Pets In Costume

So along with the old 4-H photos I dug up over the weekend, I also uncovered a few other interesting snapshots...

 

Obviously my hobby of making costumes for my pets started early  :)

 

My bunny won the costume contest

Puppy Scratch fit perfectly into doll costumes!

I believe my grandma helped me sew this costume for Scratch

 

Don't all dogs wear sweat suits when sledding?

 

My mom had the hotdog costume idea long before it became trendy...

If I remember correctly, she glued pieces of foam together, then carved it into shape with an electric knife.

While this is not me, nor my costume idea, it was my corgi  :)

And perhaps it shows there is a genetic component to my pet costume love?

 

Kirby in his Christmas candy canes

 

Another Kirby costume

So now do you see how I progressed to these costumes?  :)

I've already been thinking up costumes for this Halloween...

Wordless Wednesday

4K for 4-H

On Saturday morning, the dogs & I participated in the 4K for 4-H, a small fundraiser for the Fayette County 4-H Teen Council. I was invited by one of my agility students who is on the council & in the 4-H dog club.

 



 

We were one of the last to finish... there was a lot of sniffing & peeing on the route...

But we still got ribbons!

 

 

I'm not big on participating in various (whatever number)K's, I'd rather walk the dogs in the grass in a park at our own speed. And I don't always agree with how the money is spent. And I'm definitely not "running" in anything!  :)

 

So why this event? Besides wanting to support my student, 4-H is very near & dear to my heart. I mean, I grew up in Iowa for god's sake  :)  We were all about 4-H!

 

During the event (which was held in a very nice park, with lots of bushes for sniffing, and virtually no runners - they didn't even time it!), I got to thinking about my years of fun in 4-H. I started digging out photo albums as soon as I got home!

 





So here you go. Enjoy the journey of a little red-headed girl as she develops into a "dog dork"  :)

Well, I didn't just show dogs in 4-H, I also showed rabbits & chickens.

Yes, this is a rabbit  :)

Besides showing at the fair, we had to give presentations to our club.

This was probably my schnauzer grooming demo  :)

Before my love of corgis developed, I had a schnauzer named Scratch.

Sir Scratch-A-Lot, to be exact.

We always did some sort of obedience class &

Junior Showmanship/Handling.

Every year we also went on to compete at the state fair.

The Iowa State Fair is a really big deal...

Especially for a small town girl who grooms her own schnauzer...

Talk about jumping into the big leagues!

I loved Junior Showmanship! So much easier than training the dog in obedience  :)

 

After Scratch, I moved onto a larger breed for awhile - Bear the German Shepherd.

No matter how hard I tried...

 

I just couldn't get that "GSD" stacking pose to work  :)

 

Then I began my corgi obsession  :)

Kirby the Pembroke started it all.

Foxworth's Stretch Limousine

Showing against my sister & her sheltie, Shiver

Pretty sure I won  :)

Another year of sibling rivalry - that's my sister & Shiver on the end again.

Kirby & I at the state fair

Stacking a corgi was so much easier!

A big hug for the best Pembroke ever

Stay tuned for the rest of the week as I reveal many other old photos. Including where my obsession with dogs in costumes may have started...

BOING!

Here are a few more photos from Stout's 2nd agility trial back in April.

 

I think they show his obvious crazy side  :)  And magnificent tail  :)

 

They tie in nicely with his perfomance last weekend! No one can ever say he lacks personality or exhuberance...

 

 

 

BOING!

Stout's Wild Weekend



Oh Stout...  Where do I even start?  :)  Man, I love this little guy!

 

Friday was picture perfect. Stout ran Novice JWW and earned his first qualification! But no one believes me because I only have half the run on video  :)  Well, and they all saw the following two runs!

 

But seriously, no mistakes, no running off, no molesting of bar setters...

 

Good boy Stout!

 

 

Then on Saturday, Stout was reunited with Betsy, his puppy school teacher. Unfortunately, they were reunited in the ring  :)  And luckily I have it all on video!

 

 



 

I just love how I continue the pinwheel, having no idea that he has ran off to Betsy  :)  Is that some trust or what?

Then I wonder why he's not coming back to me - which is when I realize who it is. That accounts for the over-the-top, puppy wiggles that he's giving her  :)  What a goofball!

Thank you to Betsy for being such a good sport about the whole thing. I'm sorry he slobbered all over you  :)  But at least he didn't try to hump you!

Wordless Wednesday: Where'd They Go?

Porter's Weekend - An Off-Course Epidemic

Oh Porter...

Actually Porter didn't have that bad of a weekend, it just seems like it when you are chasing QQ's  :)

We did 3 days at my favorite trial, Hamilton Dog Training Club. Porter ran both classes all 3 days, Stout ran in JWW all 3 days (his update will be coming tomorrow).

On Friday, Porter qualified in Standard, but dropped a bar & then took an off course in JWW. In his defense, it was a very popular off course option  :)

On Saturday, Porter did not qualify at all  :(  He avoided the most obvious traps in Standard, only to take an off-course A-Frame that I hadn't even considered...  He did nail a hard weave entry.

Then he followed it up with a wrong tunnel entry in JWW:




On Sunday we were one weave pole short of QQ'ing  :( 

Standard was a hard course where we bobbled at the beginning (he tried to take an off-course table).  Then just as I thought we had the QQ in the bag in JWW, he popped out of the weaves. Damn you Porter!  :)



But Porter's best outcome of the weekend? I finally had a challenge measurement done - and he measured at 11"!!  That means he can finally jump 8" in regular, or  I can move him down to 4" in preferred.

However, this won't be happening anytime soon. Unbeknownst to me, until then, he has to have 2 measurements at 11". So until we find another good measuring judge, Porter will remain at 8" preferred.

Agility Trial Weekend!

We are off to an agility trial this weekend - hopefully we can give a full report on Monday morning!